Carving Out a Future

By: Dreamfall

Summary: Her crew doesn't know that Serenity's new passenger, a carpenter with an 'unusual upbringing', is a relic from the past. And Xander's not looking for trouble. Then again, neither are they. Not usually, leastwise. It just tends to come calling anyway. Gen. Canon couples mentioned, but definitely not the focus of the story.

Written for: NaNoWriMo and TTH100: Xander/Firefly

TTH100 prompt: 042-Time Travel

Rating: FR13/PG13/T

Disclaimer: I own neither Firefly nor BtVS.

Spoilers: Takes place post Season 7 for Buffy, and post-Objects in Space (and post the comic books, for that matter), but pre-Serenity for Firefly.

Author's Note: This is the story I started in November for NaNoWriMo. I'm thirty or so chapters into it, but since there's going to be at least one hundred chapters (since it's for tth100, too), they're mostly pretty short. If you're coming from this from my HP fanfics-- it's very different. Way less dark. It's also an incredibly fun story to write, and I do intend to continue with it to its conclusion. And no, it's not taking any real time away from Cat, now that I'm not working obsessively on it, like I was in November. I'll be posting every couple/few days at least till I'm caught up with my livejournal (username dreamfall(underscore)nnwm). Hope you enjoy!

Review Response: Responses to any reviews will be posted in the same livejournal as my other review responses-- username dreamfall(underscore)ff.

Chapter Eleven
An Offer

Xander hefted his bag and swung it onto his shoulder, enjoying the painless stretch across his ribs. Simon had done a nice job fixing him up. He took one last glance around his room, checking for anything he might have left behind, but everything was neatly packed. He paused for a moment, looking around, and then shrugged and stepped out into the hallway, the door to his room closing with a leaden finality behind him. Not looking back, he headed for the Cargo Hold.

He would miss this ship, he realized with a hint of surprise. It was the first time in all too long that he'd felt rather comfortable in a place. And, more importantly, with a group of people. He'd only been with them and awake for a week, but it seemed like longer. Stepping out onto the catwalk above the cargo bay, he resettled his bag slightly, and then jogged down the steps to where Jayne was holding one end of a large crate and waiting impatiently for Kaylee to lift the other. The girl was intent on the job, struggling to raise it, but clearly not doing too well.

Xander dropped his bag in an out of the way corner, and stepped forward, tapping her on the shoulder. "Here, let me," he said softly. "You can take some of the small ones out while Jayne and I get this, huh?"

Gratefully, she released her hold and stepped back. "Thanks! I don't know where Zoë and Mal got off to -- they're supposed to be unloading, too. But the buyer's all here with his wagon, and we want him to be able to leave soon's he pays so we can load up the new cargo."

"No problem," Xander said, crouching to lift his end of the crate. "After all, I got this whole free ride out of you guys -- seems like the least I can do."

It was heavy, but doable, and he and Jayne started moving towards the ramp and the wagon waiting outside. The weirdest thing about being in the future, in his opinion, was how damn similar it was to how he imagined being in the past would be. Wagons and cowboy hats and everybody talking in that soft Southern drawl that was more foreign to him than a British accent, thanks to years of Giles and Spike. Why wagons, for crying out loud? They had spaceships! Flying cars! And wagons that looked like they'd fit in beautifully with a group of pioneers on their way out to Tombstone. He didn't get it.

They hefted the crate onto the back of the wagon, and Jayne jumped up to shove it to the front before they went back to get another one.

"Far's passengers we've taken up've gone, you ain't been bad," Jayne commented, picking the next crate to lug out. "Didn't try to kill nobody. Didn't go mad and start attackin' anyone -- 'cept Mal, and can't hardly blame you for that. Didn't wind up havin' the Alliance after you and get us all 'most killed. Didn't poison nobody or try to steal the ship. Didn't pay for passage, neither, but the way luck's gone lately, transportin' you was a ruttin' lot cheaper than most o' th' the payin' customers we've had. 'Ceptin' the Shepherd. He was good folk."

"And Inara," added Kaylee, her voice sad as she set her smaller box next to the ramp, ready to go onto the wagon when the large crates were stowed.

Xander laughed. "Maybe I should try to bill myself that way to the next ship I book a ride on. 'Rather than paying, I promise not to cause you any trouble or cost you any money. Deal?'" Shaking his head, he added, "Somehow I don't think they'll be convinced."

"Maybe they should," Kaylee said with a laugh. "But then maybe other ships don't have quite the same luck as us," she added, smile fading into a look of discontent.

Finally, with the last crate stowed away and the buyer impatiently waiting for Mal to show back up, since he refused to leave his payment with anyone else, Xander returned to the ship one last time to grab his bag again. He turned to head out, and Kaylee threw herself at him, hugging him. He hugged her back, closing his eyes. It felt good having a friend close enough to hug again. Natural. Real.

"You really gotta go?" she asked, finally releasing him.

"Well, I'm don't see a lot of other options," he said teasingly.

"The alternative to leaving is staying," she said, smiling wistfully up at him. "You seemed to get on okay with us. And you won't find a better ship than my girl, not if you search a hundred years. You're gonna keep traveling -- why not with us?"

A loud, "Hyah!" and the sound of crunching gravel marked the wagon leaving suggested Mal had come back and collected payment for his goods, given that Jayne didn't start shooting.

"Not if I searched five hundred," Xander agreed, keeping his tone from sounding too serious by a force of will. "But Kaylee, you've known this whole trip I was leaving at the end. No other way to go."

"Maybe there is," the voice from near the ramp made Xander look up from Kaylee. The captain had returned and was eying Xander thoughtfully. Zoë stood a pace behind him, looking disapproving, but that wasn't terribly unusual when she was looking at Xander.

"Captain?"

"Well, I've been thinkin'. You said you don't got any specific plans on where t'go. And you've been positively restful compared to most of our passengers of late. What's more, we could use a regular income from rent since Inara's gone. We don't got a set schedule, so you'd see most of the worlds with us, sooner'n not. Given you can afford rent, I don't see a reason why you shouldn't as well pay it to us as to anyone else. You can stay on a month b'fore we make a longer commitment, make sure you get on okay with everyone."

Xander hesitated and glanced down at Kaylee's hopeful expression, but then slowly shook his head. "I can't say I'm not tempted, Captain, but I don't think it'll work. I told you I'm looking for a place to set up for a while, and while the dorm here isn't bad, it's not big enough for me to set up a work bench. I don't want to get used to being here and have it hurt that much more to leave later on, and I can't just plan to stay for a good long time if I don't have space to work. I wish I could, but," he trailed off, shaking his head again, a rueful smile touching his lips at Zoë's faintly relieved expression.

"Well, but that ain't the only option," Mal pointed out.

"It's not?" he asked, blankly.

"Well, one o' the dorms ain't the only thing you could rent."

A sharp indrawn breath drew Xander's eyes back down to Kaylee, but her eyes were locked on the captain now, her expression startled, even shocked.

"We've also got the shuttles. We need one for ship's use, but we've rented out the other one long-term before without any ill coming of it. They're a good bit larger than the dorms. It'd cost more, but if you've got the coin, we could work somethin' out."

Feeling hopeful, Xander hesitated, then said, "Well, why don't you show me the space, and I'll see if it's something I can work with."

Mal nodded sharply and headed towards the steps, leading Xander towards the shuttle. Zoë stayed at his side, and Kaylee and Jayne followed along with Xander, neither of them speaking.

Mal opened the door, and waved Xander in. Stepping in, he looked around and his brows rose slightly. Then he sniffed. "Incense, huh?"

"The last tenant was Inara," Mal said.

"She's a Companion," Kaylee added softly. "She was always burning incense. And she kept everything so lovely."

It was a good-sized space, a lot bigger than one of the dorms, and more usable as well. The light was remarkably good, probably inherited from the Companion tenant; it felt almost natural, the most like real sunlight he'd ever seen from an artificial source. It would work, he realized. A slow smile lit his face as he turned back to the captain. "I think it'd work, Captain. I believe I'll take you up on your offer."

"Without even askin' the price?" Zoë asked sharply.

He shrugged and smiled. "What's the price, then?"

Mal named a figure that made Kaylee gasp and glare at him. "Captain!"

Xander just nodded. "First month and security up front? I'd offer last, too, but if we're just doing a trial month... Next month, if we agree I'm to stay, I'll give you another two, and after that a month at a time, if that's acceptable? The security to be returned if all's in good shape when I leave, of course."

The captain smiled back. "That'll do right nice, I think. Don't you think, Zoë?"

"What I think is no carpenter's got enough money to pay three months up front at a rate like that, 'less he's more'n just a carpenter," she snapped, tone brittle.

"What do you say to that, Xander?" the captain asked.

"Of course there's more to me than just a carpenter -- just like there's more to Kaylee than just a mechanic and more to you than just a captain. People have layers."

"Like ogres," River exclaimed happily, popping into the shuttle and skipping over to Xander.

Xander grinned at her and ruffled her hair. "Have I mentioned lately that I love you?" he asked. "Yeah. Ogres have layers."

Everyone else stared at them like they were completely mad -- probably not an unfamiliar sensation for River. Come to think of it, it wasn't that strange a sensation for him either.

"What?" Kaylee asked uncertainly.

"Line from a show I saw one time. It seemed particularly appropriate, and at home someone would've chimed in with it," Xander explained. "I assume River realized I'd appreciate hearing it and tossed it in."

"Time moves in circles," she said seriously, looking up at him. "If you stay long enough, you'll be home again."

Xander felt his face shut down, and forced himself to smile at her. "Could be," he lied.

She shook her head sadly. "Stupid. You'll figure it out eventually."

That brought a more honest smile to his face. "Well, that's definitely one I've heard before -- although with less faith in my getting it eventually. So with this whole shuttle deal, would it mean on planet I could take it away from the ship if I wanted?"

"Absolutely," Mal agreed genially, apparently more than content at the promise of a rather large sum of cash coming in at regular intervals.

"Cool," Xander murmured, setting his bag down and looking around eagerly. "I'll have to get someone to teach me to fly it one of these days. How long are we on planet for? I'd like to pick up a few things, if I'm going to stay."

"Two days. Make sure you're not late."

"Of course." He smiled, feeling happier than he'd been in a long time. "Thank you, Captain."

The captain just shrugged. "Nothin' to thank me for. You'll be paying your way."

"This is a bad idea," Zoë said.

The captain grinned at her. "Now how is this a bad idea?"

"I don't trust him," she said, eyes not leaving Xander, who looked back calmly.

"Zoë," Mal said, a smile teasing the corners of his lips. "Last time you were so dead set against a man, you went and married him. You give me some warning if yer gonna do the same thing again, dong ma?"

She glared at him. "You mockin' my misgivings, sir?"

He raised a brow. "Your misgivings based on anything real?"

"How 'bout the fact that he's not once told us a single thing that makes sense about how he came to be wandering the 'verse? You don't find that worth a touch of distrust?"

River giggled. "Anything that made sense would be a lie," she said. "Nothing in Xander's life has ever made sense."

"Nothing but feelings," he confirmed. "Those, at least, stay pretty constant." He took a step towards Zoë and said, "I don't talk much about my past. I have reasons for that, and I can only ask you to believe me when I say those reasons and that past aren't gonna hurt you or yours. I mean this ship and its crew no harm. I doubt I could harm you even if I did want to, or that I'd survive long if I did -- running a ship is something I couldn't begin to do." He paused for a moment, thoughtfully, then continued, "But I understand what it's like to not trust someone and to have everyone around you sure they know better. If you want me gone, I'll leave. I'd like to stay, but this is your home and I don't stay in peoples' homes where I'm not welcome."

"We made a deal," Mal said shortly.

"We did. And it's your ship -- but it's her ship, too. I'm not here to cause trouble, and if my staying's going to make anyone unhappy, I won't stay. I'm looking for a home -- I've made do enough times in ones where I'm not wanted. Now that I have control over it, I won't do it again."

Zoë stared back at him, measuring him. "You're not going to cause the captain any trouble?"

"I hope not," he stated. "I don't intend to, certainly. All I want to do is settle down, carve some wood, and see a bit of the 'verse."

There was dead silence for several minutes as they stared at each other and the others watched them. Finally, she nodded once, sharply. "We need the income, and that's a fact," she stated, then turned on her heel and stalked out of the room.

Kaylee released a breath, and leapt up to give him another hug. "You're staying!" she crowed. Then she turned to glare at Mal. "And you shouldn't ought to charge so much! That's more'n you charged Inara, and her a Companion!"

"Well, if he can afford it without bargaining me down, I don't see where you've got cause for complaint," he replied cheerfully.

Xander nodded agreement. "I appreciate the concern, Kaylee, but I promise you it won't beggar me."

"Wood must pay well," Mal commented, cocking one brow.

"Better than you'd think. But I also have some money from..." he faltered, smile dropping and shrugged. "I lost some people who were pretty well off," he said, voice serious. "They made sure I'd be okay financially, though I'd take begging with them over living like a king without any day." He read understanding in the captain's eyes and shrugged. "Well, let's get these funds transferred then, and I'll see about picking up a few things I'd like to have."